Nia Long

Background

The beautiful Nia Long is a well-known American actress who has starred in several of everyone’s favorite films and television shows. Born on October 30, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York City, Long has been taking acting lessons since childhood. She has one half-sister, Sommore, who is also an actress and comedian. After her parents divorced, the two-year-old Long accompanied her mother to move to Iowa to study fine arts. Five years later, they moved to South Los Angeles, where her mother planned to get married there. Long attended and graduated from Westchester High School in 1989.

Long’s acting coach was Betty Bridges, the mother of actor Todd Bridges. One of her very first roles was in the Disney television movie called “The B.R.A.T. Patrol.” However, her first big role was in the notable soap opera “Guiding Light,” where she starred from 1991 until 1994. Within the same year Long started in “Guiding Light,” she landed her breakthrough role in “Boyz n the Hood.” From 1994 until 1995, she starred alongside Will Smith in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as Smith’s girlfriend. Many of Long’s fans will also know her for her recurring role as officer Sasha Monroe in the series “Third Watch,” where she starred from 2003 until the season finale in 2005. She also played a recurring role in season three of the popular television series “Empire” in 2016. Rising in fame with each film and series role, Long has appeared in several high-profile films such as “Friday,” “Big Momma’s House” and its sequel, “The Best Man” and its sequel, “Are We There Yet,” and many more. In 2020, she played the main character in the thriller film “Fatal Affair.”

The stunning actress has received several awards for her roles in “The Best Man,” “The Best Man Holiday,” and “Third Watch” and numerous nominations for other films and television shows she’s starred in. Long is the mother of two sons and is engaged to Boston Celtics head coach, Ime Udoka.